Diet, Exercise and positive mindset – ways to cope with Obesity

Obesity is a complex disease and requires proper advice to help shed the weight. Creating the ideal plan for you to reach your goal involves following the correct diet, developing the right exercise, developing a positive mindset etc. But the catch is that is not easy to come up with the perfect ‘weight-loss plan’ for you without knowing what the underlying causes of obesity are for you and how to maintain the weight long-term.

However, there are SMART and effective ways of developing the plan and assessing your progress. 

Here are a few ways to inculcate healthy routine into your lifestyle –  

 Some Physical Activity¹ 

• Physical activity such as resistance training, aerobic exercise is associated with weight loss along with better mental health (reduced anxiety, depression). People having a busy schedule are encouraged to engage in multiple brief episodes of activity during the day, such as using stairs as an alternative to elevators. You can also form a group with your buddies that encourages you to engage in physical activity or a workout, a couple of times a week. 
• Remember, build in small exercises into your daily routine. It is up to you to decide which routines work best.

 Mindful Daily Habits²

• The key to long-term maintenance of the weight loss includes a healthy daily lifestyle. This involves getting enough sleep, inculcating healthy eating habits, engaging in regular sports activities and reducing stress. 
• Focus on setting up short-term goals which are specific, achievable, forgiving (less than perfect). Be realistic about your goals, which also means, expect setbacks.
• Reinforcing new habits, may take time, so it is important to be patient with yourself. Continually revisit your progress and evaluate which parts of the plan need tweaking and which are working for you. Reward yourself when you achieve a target.

 Articulating your Diet² 

• Calorie restriction is an important aspect of weight loss. Switching to a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet, cutting out excess fat and sugar is essential. There are small ways to ensure you avoid overeating such as eating slowly, putting the fork down between bites, planning meals ahead of time, stocking up on healthy food at home, reducing your screen time which can distract you and may lead to overeating. 
• Maintaining a food diary and hence self-monitoring of the food intake will make you more accountable and will help you achieve the desired results.  

  Right Medical Interventions³

• There are medications that help in treating obesity. They help break dietary fat into simpler molecules, some help with appetite suppression.
• Surgical procedures such as intragastric balloon, bariatric surgery, gastric banding via laparoscopy, gastric bypass etc are also available, causing weight loss.

 Take help of a Specialist 

• An obesity specialist can help in many ways in helping you develop smarter ways to achieve your target weight. Right from determining the cause of your obesity, to developing your diet plan, to helping you navigate your way to a healthier lifestyle, a specialist’s advice is invaluable.  
• Medical interventions such as medications or surgery can only be done with the advice of an obesity specialist.³
• Take the advice of an obesity specialist to help decide the daily plan customised for you. They will also help select the right course of treatment for you

References:  

1. McQueen MA. Exercise aspects of obesity treatment. Ochsner J. 2009;9(3):140-143. PMID: 21603430; PMCID: PMC3096271. 
2. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html 
3. Ruban A, Stoenchev K, Ashrafian H, et al. Current treatments for obesity. Clin Med (Lond). 2019;19(3):205-212. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.19-3-205.